25 Feb 2025
Eggs are a powerhouse ingredient in the world of baking, playing multiple crucial roles that contribute to the success of a wide range of baked goods. From cakes and cookies to finishing glazes, eggs are indispensable. Their unique composition, rich in emulsifiers and proteins, ensures stability, texture, and freshness in the final product. Let's delve into the technical roles of eggs in baking and understand how each component—yolk, white, and whole egg—affects different recipes.
Whole eggs typically contain 25% dry matter and 75% liquid matter. When you use whole eggs in a recipe, you harness the combined benefits of both the yolk and the white. Whole eggs are excellent binding agents, making them perfect for cakes, cookies, and other baked goods. They firm up and solidify when heated, providing crucial structural support to delicate desserts and pastries. Additionally, whole eggs contribute to tenderness, creating light textures, soft breads, and delicate crumbs. When mixed with sugar, whole eggs help trap and hold air, giving the finished product some lightness and lift. This combination also adds significant moisture and flavor to the recipe.
Egg yolks are 50% water, with the rest composed of lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates. They are rich in fat and emulsifying agents, making them essential for recipes that require a dense and moist texture. The fat content in yolks imparts a rich flavor and velvety texture to baked goods. Yolks have the unique ability to bind liquids and fats together, creating a stable emulsion that prevents separation. This emulsification process, largely dependent on egg yolk lipoproteins, ensures a smooth and homogenous mix of ingredients, aiding in even distribution throughout the batter. Egg yolks also add volume, softness, freshness, flavor, and color to baked goods. This is particularly important in recipes like cake donuts, where the yolk's properties are crucial for achieving the desired texture and flavor.
Egg whites are 88% water, supplemented with carbohydrates, proteins, and water. They are known for their ability to act as a natural leavening agent. When whipped, egg whites trap air, creating a foam that expands in the heat of the oven. This expansion causes the recipe to rise without the need for additional leavening agents like yeast or baking soda. During baking, egg white proteins coagulate, resulting in initial cake hardness, rigidity of the cake crumb, and crumb cohesiveness, springiness, and resiliency. Whipped egg whites are the secret behind the light and airy texture of delicate cakes. Historically, they were the primary leavening agent in classic baked goods like sponge cakes before the advent of baking soda and baking powder.
Egg wash, a mixture of beaten eggs and a liquid (usually water or milk), is applied to the surface of baked goods before baking. This technique imparts a beautiful shine and enhances the color of the final product. Egg wash is commonly used on breads, pastries, and pies to give them an appealing golden-brown finish. The proteins in the egg coagulate during baking, creating a glossy and attractive surface that also helps to seal in moisture.
Whole eggs are indispensable in cakes and cookies, providing the necessary binding, structure, and moisture. They help create a tender crumb and contribute to the overall flavor and texture of the baked goods. Cakes that contain the most eggs include sponge cakes and chiffon cakes, while cream cakes and pound cakes tend to have around 20-25% eggs as part of the total recipe.
For scratch producers of high-ratio cakes, there are two main options for incorporating eggs: using whole eggs in their liquid form or combining dried egg yolks and dried egg whites if opting for dried eggs. Each method offers unique functional benefits. To explore the differences in functionality and determine which option best suits your needs, be sure to check out our detailed blog on this topic.
Whole eggs play a crucial role in waffles and pancakes, contributing to their light and fluffy texture. The binding properties of eggs help hold the batter together, while their ability to trap air ensures a tender and airy final product.
This is especially relevant to scratch producers of cake donuts, who use egg yolks. Enzyme-based improvers can effectively replace egg yolks, maintaining the desired texture and flavor while reducing costs. The yolk's fat content and emulsifying abilities are key to achieving the rich flavor and velvety texture characteristic of cake donuts.
Egg wash is essential for achieving a professional finish on breads and pastries. It provides a shiny, golden-brown crust that enhances the visual appeal and helps to lock in moisture.
Understanding the technical roles of eggs in baking allows us to appreciate their versatility and importance in creating high-quality baked goods. Whether you're using whole eggs, yolks, or whites, each component brings unique properties that enhance the texture, flavor, and structure of your recipes. By mastering the use of eggs, bakers can achieve consistent and exceptional results, showcasing their expertise and elevating their baked creations to new heights.
Nicole's journey at Puratos began as a Global Graduate Trainee following her graduation from Rutgers University–New Brunswick with a B.S. in Food Science. Outside of work, Nicole enjoys NYT’s Wordle (and has successfully Wordled in 1!), exploring new cuisines through travel, honing her culinary skills through cooking and baking, and spending quality time with family and friends.